Overview
- The last train departed Target Field on Sunday after the Vikings–Packers game, closing 16 years of Northstar service.
- The 40-mile line opened in 2009 between downtown Minneapolis and Big Lake with stops across the northern suburbs.
- Annual ridership topped 780,000 in 2018, dropped about 95% during the pandemic, and totaled about 127,000 in 2024 and roughly 113,400 in 2025.
- Metro Transit said the per-ride subsidy recently exceeded $100, rendering the operation financially unsustainable and confirming a switch to bus routes.
- The agency will retain the infrastructure for now and work with MnDOT and BNSF over the next year to determine potential reuse, as riders consider bus alternatives.